Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

I’m not a massive Britney Spears fan. In fact, I can’t say I’m a fan at all, but I was intrigued to listen to her story after hearing so much about it from other readers. I was also a little curious as to why she had cancelled her Las Vegas residency so quickly when it was evident she had a huge amount of fans out there. Honestly, it was heartbreaking that someone who was so talented and wanted to live the dream they had had as a little girl could be squashed flat and controlled so heartlessly by her family, but predominantly by her father.  Her conservatorship battle in court goes to show that hopefully, in the majority of cases, right will win and evil will be punished. Yes, Britney is a little bat-shit crazy, but no one deserves to be treated like that. I’m pleased she got the right outcome in the end. Britney opens the audiobook by stating that she cannot bear to read her story herself without getting upset which is the reason Michelle Williams narrates it. Although her voice d...

This is the third book in the East End Library Girls series and another brilliant book from Patricia McBride. Once again, we are immersed in the lives of the Eastenders of London, during the traumatic and difficult times of the Second World War, but this Christmas, they have the excitement of a visit from the King and Queen of England to look forward to! Cordelia, Mavis and Jane are back between the pages of our book and honestly, I adore them. They are the stalwarts of the Silvertown library, which is very much the heart of the community, bringing people together for friendship during these hard times. The story and the characters are just so warm and endearing. Despite the setting, you can’t help but be drawn into their camaraderie and love.  If you like warm, light-hearted, historical fiction, then pour yourself a cup of tea, put your feet up and enjoy Patricia’s latest book about these brilliant east-end girls.  Thank you to Boldwood Books, NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Re...

Julie is a new-to-me author, and A Class Act didn’t disappoint in the least. I’m pleased to have discovered Julie at the beginning of this brand-new series.  The story is full of diversity, family dynamics, romance, disappointments, humour, and prominent characters. Robyn is lovely, I admired her determination in the first half of the book when she tried so, so hard to achieve her dream of becoming a West End star. I love a musical so I was fully invested in Robyn’s dream and loved her walks through the streets of theatreland in the west end of London. I’m looking forward to reading more about Robyn and her sisters as the series continues in the next book. Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review A Class Act by Julie Houston. About the Book Robyn Allen is finally getting closer to her dream of West End stardom. And along with her role dancing in the latest hot musical, she’s being wined and dined by an equally hot m...

We Were on a Break made me laugh out loud and smack my forehead in frustration! Honestly, I loved Emma. She was eccentric, quirky and hilarious. On the other hand, Callum was a bit boring and too straitlaced. I loved the synopsis. I really fancy the idea of a road trip across Europe, although maybe not with an ex! That would be quite hard work.  I liked Jo’s descriptions of the places Emma and Callum visited, and I would have loved to stay in the monastery with the monks, they honestly seemed like such a fun bunch of people, although I’m not sure that was the impression I was supposed to be getting! If you want a book to immerse yourself into this summer, grab a copy of this and lose yourself on a journey in a camper van called Miranda, across Europe. Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review We Were on a Break by Jo Lovett. About the Book A summer to remember... A love to last a lifetime... Stranded in Rome, with al...

I loved, loved, loved this. I loved Lily; I loved Luke, and I almost loved Zack. Too much happened and I don’t want to give any spoilers, but if you love romance, then you absolutely must read this. The story does sort of end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but that’s good. I can’t wait to read the next one and thankfully I won’t have long to wait. Few books make me cry, but Olivia got me good and proper with this one. OMG, soul-searching and heart-wrenching is an understatement. That email.....! It ripped my heart apart, mangled it all up and shoved it back into my chest! A book that does that to me will always be a winner. Thank you Olivia, for giving us Lily, Luke and Zack! Thank you to Olivia Lockhart and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review For the Love of Lily. About the Book Lily Forshaw loves her life, her job, and her best friends. Romance? Not on her radar. So, when a blind date with Zack leaves her unexpectedly smitten, she’s completely caught off guar...

I love an audiobook and although this was a slow start; I found myself enjoying it more and more as the book progressed. Hudson was a great character. I liked him from the very beginning, but Willa was a different story. It took me a while to warm to her, and she did irritate me a bit when she was constantly calling on Hudson to come and get her out of a pickle. Both Elyse and Teddy were great narrators and worked well together as Willa and Hudson. Teddy’s voice made me melt inside. I have no idea what he looks like and don’t want to check in case I am disappointed lol! Small-town-romance and family-orientated books are always a winner for me and once the scene was set, and I understood the background of both characters, I enjoyed Cathy Yardley’s latest book.  Thank you to NetGalley, Cathy Yardley and Literary Media Tours for the opportunity to listen to and review Do Me a Favor. About the Book Willa Lieu-Endicott moved from California to the Pacific Northwest to start over. Sinc...

As a girl (yes, I still think of myself as a girl), who turned 51 a few months ago I was looking forward to reading this, and whilst my life is absolutely nothing like Kate’s, I could relate to bits of her life. I think Kate is brilliant; she has great friends, a job she enjoys and godchildren she adores. I particularly loved Elsie and the names she decided on for her cuddly unicorn and sheep - I won’t spoil that for you, but it made me laugh. The Saga Louts are Kate’s newfound friends, none of them a day under 80, but they are amazing. They are loving life; they have no filter and they don’t care a jot what they talk about and who they might shock. I hope I’m like that at 80! There are many, many sad and heartbreaking moments throughout the book too. Celia handles these well, with compassion and understanding and, of course, the book has a happy-ever-after. What else would you expect from a book with such a jolly cover?  Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random R...